Archive for the ‘Senate Races’ Category

There really is something deeply wrong with the GOP establishment, and as nearly all conservatives have always suspected, it’s this: Despite all of the GOP establishment’s haughty talk about moderation, they are willing to do anything, no matter how repulsive, to achieve their political ends in order to maintain power. In Mississippi, Thad Cochran held onto his seat by the slimmest of margins over conservative Chris McDaniels. Had there not been a laundry list of out-of-state, center-left interests pouring money in on Cochran’s behalf, this race would have come out differently, but what I want dispirited conservatives to know is that despite the loss, you won. It might be hard to see at the moment, but there’s really something to be said for your accomplishments in this race. The truth is now plain to see, and for those who doubted it before, the veil should now be thoroughly lifted: The GOP establishment is comprised of a mafia-like element that will use any tactic necessary to keep its scumbags in office, and in this election, it was revealed in full, but this was only possible because conservatives pushed them to the brink.

Thad Cochran has been in political office nearly all of my life. Now he faces an election for a seventh term, and if he succeeds, he will have served in the US Senate for forty-two years by the time the new term expires. This is despicable. What makes it all the more disgusting is the manner of his primary victory. He did not win on the strength of his record, which is sorely lacking. He did not win on the merits of his legislative proposals. He did not win because Republicans in his state favor him. He did not win even because Republican voters though McDaniels was an inferior candidate. No, he won on the strength of contributions from his center-left connections, shady endorsements, and because his campaign’s proxies illegally urged Democrats to cross over and vote for him in the Republican primary. They gave “walking-around money” to would-be Democrat voters, and they basically called McDaniels and the TEA Party “racists” who were out to get Barack Obama. Take a look at this flier, circulated prior to the primary run-off(H/T John Fund at NRO):

Despicable Cochran flier that circulated days before the run-off

Let me say this clearly. Thad Cochran is a scumbag, and that he would employ such an outrageous tactic merely speaks to his unfitness for office. Were I a Mississippi conservative, there is no way I would vote to re-elect this dirtball. Instead, I would vote for the Democrat. You might ask: “But Mark, if the Democrat is elected, we might not retake the Senate,” to which I must respond with a question: “We?“ Who comprises any “we” in any of this? It is not Republicans and conservatives. It is not TEA Party and constitutionalists. The only “we” who will run the Senate, even if the Republicans win a majority in 2014 is the GOP establishment mafia. I’d like Mississippi conservatives to think about that.

Haley Barbour and his extended gang, including Michael Bloomberg, Karl Rove, the Chamber of Commerce, a Facebook executive, and a legion of GOP establishment thugs were willing to use ginned-up Democrat support to steal this seat away from Mississippi conservatives. Mississippi conservatives and TEA Party activists should know that there can be no restoration of the constitutional government they hope to promote so long as a gang of criminal cronies own their Senator. The worst of it may have been the last-minute use of a sickening tactic of soliciting Democrats to support Cochran even if they would not vote for him in the Fall.

Listen to the following recording for a sample of what establishment Republicans(!) did to secure victory:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpp6cYZrrcs]

This call went out to black Democrats to get them to vote in the Republican primary.

This is the establishment of the Republican Party. They’re every bit the statist, mafia-like dirtbags the Democrats are, and as you can see, they will work with Democrats whenever necessary to maintain their grip on power. What is my suggestion to the conservatives and TEA Party folk in Mississippi? Either run McDaniels as an independent in November, or simply go out to support the Democrat. Yes, I actually suggest supporting the Democrat, because since Cochran is willing to invite Democrats into the primary campaign, Mississippi conservatives should turn the table on him and give him a dose of his own medicine. Yes, this means the Democrat will sit in office for six years, but to quote Hillary Clinton, “what difference does it make?” You now have a six-term RINO running for a seventh term who is firmly in Haley Barbour’s and Karl Rove’s pocket. This November, for much the same reasons, I am voting for anybody but the RINO liar John Cornyn(R-TX.) If we’re going to take our country back, we’ll first need to surrender a few things, and in this case, it means giving up the illusion of a Republican-led Senate that wouldn’t be the least bit conservative anyway.

Sarah Steelman, the candidate for Senate in Missouri who was defeated in a multi-candidate election in the primaries had some a few words to say about the NRSC(National Republican Senatorial Committee) and the failures in recapturing the Senate in 2012. She points out accurately that the the only Senate pick-up by Republicans was Deb Fischer, a candidate backed and endorsed by Sarah Palin. Steelman herself a candidate for Senate in 2012, had Palin’s backing in the primary, finishing behind Todd Akin who went on to blow any chance of winning by making a widely reported remark about “legitimate rape.” Akin should have exited the race at that point, because whatever his meaning, he was going to be shouted down by the left and propagandized to the hilt. Steelman chose to focus on John Cornyn and the NRSC in this segment because of the tendency by the NRSC to back people who are a good fit for the Republican country club sort that populates the Senate. She also had an aside for Governor Romney. View the video below, H/T Sarahnettoo:

It should come as no surprise to readers of this website that having arrived late in the election season with a chance for Republicans to win the White House, and perhaps strengthen in Congress, with taking the Senate an at least plausible proposition, the turn-coats, the RINOs, the opportunists and the skunks will now come out of the woodwork to sabotage as many Republicans as possible. Every media venue is beginning to drag them out from behind the curtains, and while a mighty wind struck New Jersey on Monday, an blowhard nearly equal to Hurricane Sandy both in breadth and volume sought on Wednesday to capitalize on the storm’s aftermath, inviting the man from the city that blows hard seemingly in perpetuity to join him on the Jersey shore. Quite a couple this pair of wind generators made, missing no photo-op to look very gubernatorial and presidential, respectively. Much like Barack Obama claims it’s wrong to politicize Libya (while politicizing Libya,) Governor Christie took full advantage of the opportunity to improve his own position with New Jersey voters, and yes, maybe even voters nationally, with an eye toward 2016.

Naturally, for that to work out, Romney would need to lose next week, and by playing Oliver Hardy to Obama’s Stanley Laurel, Christie did his best to position himself in all respects. Of course, this is merely the presidential scene. Other saboteurs were widely afoot. Tucker Carlson did his level best to undercut Richard Mourdock in Indiana, suggesting that the Senate candidate cannot win, a fact that the long-time Dick Lugar protoge apparently finds satisfying, so it’s what I suggested long ago: He’s wealthy enough not to be worried about Obama-care. To quote one-term Texas Governor Maw Richards, “he can’t hepp it, he was born with a silver foot in his mouth.” Naturally, after his blatant sabotage on FoxNews today, I’d suggest that rather than his foot, it had been Carlson’s head, though stuck in a different orifice.

I hope my fellow conservatives are working hard to get out the vote for our Senate candidates, because whatever happens at the top of the ticket, we simply must take the Senate. I’m not saying Mitt Romney will lose, as he in fact looks fairly strong at the moment, but let’s be honest about how things will go even if he wins but Harry Reid maintains control of the Senate. With Boehner in the House, conservative concerns are certain to get rolled at every turn if we don’t re-take the Senate.

I expect that in the days to come, we will begin to see a parade of RINOs stepping out to deal dirt to conservative candidates. The establishment wing of the party doesn’t take defeat easily, and while we conservatives are always expected to rally to their candidates, they never seem to return the favor, instead undercutting conservatives. Some have speculated the Christie’s actions are part of a ploy to somehow sabotage Obama, but that’s not it at all. That’s far too complicated a ploy for the simple optics that Christie is gaining from this maneuver. He’s simply an opportunist, and since his is a deep blue state, this is a way of staying in favor with the people of New Jersey, in part to position himself for his re-election and in part in case he makes a bid for the White House in 2016 in the wake of a Romney loss his actions today were intended to assist. Quite simply, this kills two birds with one stone, and I knew when he erupted yesterday about not giving “a damn” for the politics, that just like Obama, a political move on his part was imminent. If it hadn’t been all about political “optics,” he wouldn’t have spent all his time on photo-ops. Whatever other “October Surprises” might be in the offing, this one was entirely of Christie’s making.

As this post goes to press, almost as if by way of confirming my thesis, both New York’s Mayor Nanny Doomberg and retired General and affirmative action beneficiary Colin Bowell have shockingly endorsed Barack Obama. I expect my readers to take it easy after that news as the mainstream media attempts to portray this as a surprise. Meanwhile, back on the East Coast, now that one of the mighty windbags has departed the scene, things aren’t going so well as thousands upon thousands of residents find themselves without shelter or food, and more than three million are still without power. They’re fighting over fuel at the now sparse gas stations. They’re siphoning it out of cars for use in generators, showing the utter lack of preparedness of so many governments in the region. Once again, the coward-in-chief is off in Las Vegas. I guess when the real hard work needs to be done, Obama can be counted on to arrive in the city he told people they ought not go.

I expect the parade of RINO back-stabbers to continue through the weekend. It’s what they do.

I realize I am among the very last people on the planet to comment on the Todd Akin kerfuffle, but there’s a very good reason I’ve remained silent, watching all of this unfold with nary a word. I’ve watched as the endless Republican pile-on brigades have pummeled this man relentlessly, and from this, I’ve drawn more conclusions about the critics than I have about Congressman Akin. To say that I have been disappointed in a vast array of Republicans and conservatives is to understate severely my initial estimation, because while the man in question has apologized for his words, and while he’s run around bowing and capitulating in all ways but one, the vast body of the Republican party has been willing to flog him endlessly. Obama and his team are eating this up, and if they could keep the Akin story going from now until Election Day, they surely would, but there are people who have added their own fuel to this fire, and whatever else I detest about politics, hypocrisy is chief among those things I find most foul. To see Republicans behaving little different from Democrats makes me ill, and it’s about time, finally, as some of the din begins to die down, that we assess the real damage, and the performances of so many.

Akin himself should be ashamed, not so much for the controversial remark, but for his intractable responses in its wake. His unwillingness to listen in the face of crippling attacks should give every person pause about his motives for seeking the Senate seat. The irony in such a situation is that a man worthy of the seat would have stepped aside, while a candidate of questionable worthiness would almost certainly persist. The only thing mitigating in his favor is that his opponent is Claire McCaskill, whose record is infinitely worse. Despite his gaffe, he remains the better candidate of the two competing for the seat. Still, Akin has been less awful than a number of his Republican critics, never mind the Democrats, and I think we owe ourselves a bit of honest discussion about that while we’re roasting Akin over an open fire.

Mitt Romney urged Akin to quit the race. Here is a candidate who has over time accumulated his share of gaffes and verbal missteps, and yet he has the unmitigated gall to call on Akin to quit? I call on Mitt Romney to quit, not that he will, again referencing my postulate above once more. Mitt Romney should have quit when he said “I like being able to fire people,” or when he described himself as a “severe conservative,” or when he said he wanted to “maintain the progressivity of the tax code,” or any of a dozen things he ought not to have said, or ought to have said differently. To me, the question of “legitimate rape” is no more preposterous than “severe conservatism,” and it should have offended no more of us.

Rush Limbaugh has called on Akin to quit. I have two words for Limbaugh, and for those who agree with Limbaugh in this case, and yes, they are blunt: “Sandra Fluke.” Rush didn’t misspeak, and he didn’t state anything he hadn’t been trying to state, and yet while what he said in many ways was far worse, and far more damaging to conservatism, it seems we’ve all forgotten that episode. Well, most of us have. On this basis, I suppose I ought to join the legion of leftists who have been agitating for Limbaugh’s banishment from the airwaves, but unlike Rush, whose apology I saw as sincere and heartfelt, I suppose he only sees one side of that coin. Given how his audience supported him, and given also the way in which the fan base abandoned those sponsors who dumped him in the aftermath, one would think he could understand why it’s not a good idea to pull the rug from under an ally’s feet after one ill-considered sentence. In the same way that his fans forgave him despite the media uproar created and rallied against him, most Republicans and conservatives in Missouri(and elsewhere) are willing to forgive Akin and carry him to victory against McCaskill if he’s their only choice. Unless he quits, he is their only alternative to six more years of McCaskill.

Speaking of an “only choice,” let me get on to the Republican establishment, particularly the party apparatchiks who proclaim in bellicose words their intention to deny Akin any party funding in this cycle. These are the same people who tell us now, and have told us for months, that Mitt Romney is our only choice, and we simply must defeat Barack Obama. True enough, we must defeat Obama, and many conservatives have given grudging support to Romney over the last few months as they have seen Romney as the only remaining vehicle by which to remove Barack Obama from the Oval Office. While it’s a view I haven’t warmed to, I nevertheless understand it, and I fully sympathize with the implied threat of not voting for Romney. What I don’t understand, and frankly cannot accept is how this same party now tells Akin he must exit for the sake of the party, and for the sake of the country. Shouldn’t they have exercised this same speech to Mitt Romney after the “I like to be able to fire people” remark? No, instead they’ve told us how we must support Mitt, come what may, but that view doesn’t extend to Mr.Akin’s situation? One could argue that Akin’s remarks were less severe in their damaging potential than some of Romney’s, and yet I hear no cries from RNC headquarters that it is time to “get over with this primary business” and “move on to the general election without further debate.” Odd, isn’t it? If it is so important to support Romney for the sake of ridding ourselves of Obama, isn’t it almost equally important to remove McCaskill who has been a water-carrier for Obama since day one?

As to the media at large, their response was predictable. The famed coven of journ-o-listers and all their friends couldn’t wait to flog conservatives with Akin’s poorly chosen sentence. What makes these things successful is when Republicans join in the game, adding fuel to the fire, and helping in all ways to further make a mountain of a mole-hill. If Akin had simply said “I misspoke,” and thereafter refused to answer further questions about it, and had Republicans at large joined in so doing, this entire thing would have been quashed simply by disinterest. It’s what the GOP establishment did over Boehner’s “knuckle-dragger” remarks, and that’s the tip-off. It’s not that Republicans don’t know how to play this game, but that the GOP establishment is every bit as opportunist as the left. Within hours of the comment, I was listening to a list of possible replacement candidates the GOP in Missouri might field in place of Akin if he would quit, and most of them hadn’t even been on the ballot in this year’s primary. The establishment scrambled to try to seize the opportunity to get one of their own in, and when Akin refused to quit, they went ballistic.

This entire episode has been an eye-opener for me in many respects. I’ve seen the media at its worst, and I’ve seen some in conservative media rush to imitate the left’s tactics. From my point of view, while I supported another candidate in the Missouri Republican Senate primary and run-off, I was willing to fight for whomever the Republicans in Missouri nominated because all of them would be preferable to Claire McCaskill. That’s still true. What I’ve learned most from this Akin kerfuffle is that the GOP establishment can be far more scathing against fellow Republicans than even against Obama, and if that’s so, I must question their motives anew. Whatever you think of Akin’s remarks, am I now to believe that the GOP establishment is interested in party unity for the sake of saving the country? Beginning the day after this November’s elections, the Republican establishment will become my sole focus because I simply cannot tolerate their duplicity and hypocrisy any longer. Akin’s sentence may have been ill-constructed, ill-considered, and malformed, but the GOP establishment is worse. Take it from a “knuckle-dragger.”

Ted Cruz won Tuesday’s Senate run-off against Lt.Governor David Dewhurst in convincing fashion, defeating the Austin moderate by a margin of nearly ten points. That’s a stunning win given how his campaign was outspent by Dewhurst, and it speaks to the commitment of activists all across the state, and a few notable conservatives who showed up to campaign for Cruz, including Sarah Palin, and Jim DeMint, but also that big voice on the evening airwaves, Mark Levin. Tea Party Express worked tirelessly to get out the vote, and Amy Kremer must be ecstatic and exhausted. Nevertheless, Cruz must still win the general election in November, but it’s a refreshing change to see that Austin insider David Dewhurst didn’t walk away with the nomination. Texas conservatives and Tea Party patriots won a huge victory Tuesday over the Austin establishment!

Twitter was awash in comments all evening, and when various media outlets began to call the race, it was quickly a party of sorts as faithful re-Tweeters spread the word and celebrated.

“Congratulations to Ted Cruz! This is a victory both for Ted and for the grassroots Tea Party movement. This primary race has always been about the kind of leadership we need in D.C. Our goal is not just about changing the majority in the Senate. It is about the kind of leadership we want. Ted Cruz represents the kind of strong conservative leadership we want in D.C. Go-along to get-along career politicians who hew the path of least resistance are no longer acceptable at a time when our country is drowning in debt and our children’s futures are at stake. The message of this race couldn’t be clearer for the political establishment: the Tea Party is alive and well and we will not settle for business as usual. Now, it’s on to November!”

For his part, Ted Cruz thanked Governor Palin, Senator DeMint, and all of his supporters and endorsers via Twitter immediately after the race was called, and Texas conservatives were able to bask for the remainder of the evening in the warm glow of victory! Saturday, in attendance at a small, hastily assembled Cruz campaign stop in Waco, he noticed my Texas4Palin t-shirt, plastered with Cruz buttons, and he said: “Governor Palin really energizes a crowd, doesn’t she? She’s really terrific!” It was easy to see that he was thankful for her support, and appreciative of all the Texans who turned out for him at his stops around the state.

For my part, thanks to all of those who have re-tweeted my messages on Twitter in support of Ted Cruz, and thanks on behalf of a grateful state to Governor Palin, Senator DeMint, Mark Levin, Amy Kremer, and all of the others who so tirelessly labored to get our candidate the win. It’s grass-roots activism at its finest, and I have had the great privilege of helping in a cause in which we dared not fail. Thanks to the candidate himself, who ran a clean campaign in the face of withering, fraudulent attacks and dirty tricks from his opponent. Congratulations to all!

Way to go Texas! Now let’s help conservatives in other states as well!

On Tuesday in Texas, we are having our run-off between Ted Cruz and moderate Republican David Dewhurst. This video was created in support of Ted Cruz by Roderic Deane, and rather than offering all the reasons to support Cruz, I’ll let the video speak:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gadSyWK_xEQ]

Already, the dirty tricks are in full swing, as Dewhurst continues to court Democrats to vote in the Republican primary and vote for him in order to sabotage Ted Cruz. Texas conservatives need to show up and vote. The polls will close at 7:00pm. Get it done!

Ted Cruz has been endorsed by leading constitutional conservatives from around the country, including Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Jim Demint, Rand Paul, Rick Santorum, and a host of others.

If you’re a Texan, you know we have a US Senate seat up for grabs, and you know Lt. Governor David Dewhurts is out to claim the seat, no matter how many lies he must tell, or dirty, distorted ads he must run. The simple fact of the matter is that there is only one conservative in this race, and it’s Ted Cruz. Now is the time to swell at the polls, and to send a constitutional conservative to the United States Senate. Polls open around Texas at 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 31st, and this is the opportunity for Texans to get out there and support a real constitutional conservative. On your way to work this morning, get the job done. It’s going to be a tight race, and you can affect the outcome, so let’s get out there and vote for Ted Cruz!

This has been a tough campaign season, and Ted has been out making the case for getting the Federal Government under control. If we are to have any chance to repeal Obama-care, this is a must-have seat, and we dare not fill it with a politician like David Dewhurst who has a long history of going along to get along. Ted Cruz has vowed to work to repeal every last word of Obama-care. He doesn’t want to fix it, replace it, or otherwise “improve” it because he knows that’s not possible. Politicians can put all the lipstick on Obama-care they want, but it’s still a pig, and it is destructive of our liberties. We simply can’t trust this mission to another Texas moderate Republican.

Ladies and gentlemen, the time is now: The polls are open. Go vote for Ted Cruz!

At the Ted Cruz rally at The Woodlands on Friday, Governor Palin made mention of a candidate who hasn’t been getting a great deal of national attention, but who deserves the support of conservatives and Tea Party folk everywhere. One of the things her remarks made clear is that too often, we surrender supposed “blue” states on the basis that we should not waste our precious resources campaigning in places that have been written-off as simply too far gone. Governor Palin is right about this, and going back even to 2008, when she wanted to spend some time in Michigan, but the McCain Campaign had decided it was not worth the effort, Governor Palin has never been one to cede anything to the left, leaving them a victory by default. In fact, this is what has made her so precious to many on our side, because it is this unrelenting fighting spirit that we have often lacked. It’s been the habit of the GOP establishment to write-off such places, but she’s right: We must fight for every one. In her speech on Friday, she mentioned a candidate for Senate in the State of Maryland, a deep, deep blue state in which mathematically, no victory should ever be possible for a Republican, never mind a conservative, but maybe that’s our problem. Perhaps we abandon the men and women like Dan Bongino too easily, and maybe that’s why we seem to be perpetually on the defensive.

We fight over our “Red” states, and some “battleground” states, and we walk away from “blue” states because it just seems so impossible, but we must ask at some point: Is it? Is it really impossible to deliver a message of freedom and liberty and the vast potential that is the America we love to all her people? More, aren’t we committing a grave moral error when we abandon the people of those states as veritable Don Quixotes, damned forever to tilt at the windmills of a hopeless political imbalance in their states? Yes, I am fortunate enough to live in a “red” state, but then again, I am actually a transplant from a “blue” state via a “battleground” state and my service in the Army. The reason I decided together with my wife to remain in Texas two decades ago is because I looked at the increasingly hopeless prospects of the states in which I had spent my youth, and decided there could be no way I would willingly damn my young family by dragging us back there.

The problem is what Mark Levin likes to point out, likening the left to a swarm of locusts: Once they strip a place and make of it an economically barren and politically devastated wasteland, they move on to more promising areas, turning them each in their turn to the sort of disaster they had created on their previous stops. I often meet folk who have come to Texas from other places around the country, and some of them ask me how I have adapted to Texas. My response is always the same: “Don’t try to make Texas into the same sort of place you had left behind, but instead make yourself into a Texan.” Many of them are taken aback at the notion, and they ask me what I mean, and I explain to them that so many come here from deep blue or battleground states, arriving here to set about the business of turning Texas into what they fled, never stopping to consider the insanity of the notion. Why would one try to recreate here the very things one has so recently escaped?

Another problem we face is that in leaving these “blue” states to the left, not only are we abandoning some of our most stubborn brethren, who refuse to be run-off from their homes, and who fight tooth and nail for every inch of political ground, but we are also rejecting our own thesis with respect to warfare, whether real or political. You see, one of the things we conservatives have acknowledged vis-à-vis the war on terror is that for the sake of our country’s safety, it is far better to fight the thugs and terrorists and tyrannical despots on their ground, rather than waiting for them to arrive here, on ours, because naturally, given the time, they will attack us at home. By our failure to contest ‘blue’ states, they needn’t spend any time or effort defending their own ground, because we don’t press our attack there any longer, leaving them free to go on the offensive in every red precinct in the country.

As I have explained before, our political strife in this country is a war, in fact, restrained for the moment to the sphere of politics, but the strategies employed are no different. Governor Palin mocked Barack Obama for suggesting that Texas would be a blue state, and for the time being, that’s true, but as her words also warned, the only thing preventing that from coming true over the longer run is us. If we permit the GOP establishment and all the Austin cronies to turn Texas to their purposes, and if we don’t begin to fight the radical left, not only in Texas, but in places like Maryland too, we are going to slowly lose.

It is stunning to think that only a generation ago, California voted for Ronald Reagan, the most conservative president of my lifetime, and perhaps the lifetimes of most Americans still living. Conservatives don’t seem able to win in California any longer, and it is the locust-like nature of the left, combined with our own unwillingness to battle them that explains the problem. We ceded that ground, as we have ceded New York, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts and a number of others. We’ve simply walked away. We’ve effectively said “tough luck, we’re saving our own skins” to our conservative brethren in those states, leaving them to grasp at the last straws of their political and economic freedoms, yet we wonder why we see the left infiltrating those places that had been our great strongholds. There had been a time not so long ago when places like Virginia or North Carolina would never have been in question. Now?

Ladies and gentlemen, as I write this post, I am re-watching at the video of Dan Bongino, linked by Governor Palin on her Facebook page, and I want you to see this too. Here is the video, and at its end, he makes the same point:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf78iOXx1wY]

Here is a man who is fighting like Hell for the last bit of logic and the last bit of sanity remaining in his state, and when you hear his passion, and when you see the fire in his belly, I want to ask all of you, my conservative brethren, most of us ensconced in deep red territory, how is it that we walk away from fighters like this man, abandoning them to a hopeless battle in which we had surrendered the flanks: Is he not championing precisely the things in which we believe? Like many of my readers, and like Gov. Palin, I’m not much inclined to give anything to the left, and I’m certainly not of a mind to leave such a man standing alone, speaking the truth in a state in which, without our help, he will never be heard over the din of the locusts. It’s time we do something about that, and being conservatives, our country and our culture under attack on all fronts, there is no time like the present. We shouldn’t wait for somebody else to rescue us, because if we don’t do it, none will. If you’re in Maryland, go help get this guy elected, and if you’re not in Maryland, contribute to that effort any way you can. Start here. Then, let’s fight the left everywhere. All we’re doing at present is “holding onto our positions,” but we’re not advancing the war by pressing our assault on their leviathan. It’s time to change the formula. It’s time to make the case. It’s time for us to reinforce our flanks, but surge and break through at the front. This is total war, waged for now in words and votes, but if we fail to engage on all fronts, we will lose the country.

On Friday, I drove the two-and-one-half hours from my home to the Ted Cruz rally at The Woodlands, just North of Houston. The venue was Town Green Park and the speakers included a number of Tea Party leaders, like Amy Kremer, and also Senator Jim DeMint(R-SC.) Ted Cruz gave a very encouraging, impassioned speech about what he would do if elected to the Senate, and he appropriated Barack Obama’s catch-phrase “Yes, We Can” in a little dialogue with the crowd, asking the crowd “Can we repeal Obama-care?” On cue, the crowd responded with a thundering “YES WE CAN!” Cruz exuded confidence, but the truth is that with early voting now ended, the real crunch is on from now until Tuesday to turn out the vote across Texas on his behalf. In her customary form, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin made her speech to thundering applause and enthusiastic support. It was a remarkable speech, and Palin was fiery with the energy and passion that have made her the premiere speaker in the Republican party over the last four years. Conservatives turn out for Sarah Palin, and there’s simply no escaping that fact.

(Note to GOP establishment: You may want to rethink this plan to exclude her from the convention in Tampa next month.)

I was also heartened to see so many of my friends from TxO4P on hand, including Josh Thuma, who was so enthusiastic in Indianola, Iowa last September, so it was no surprise that at The Woodlands, he followed up in similar form, waving signs and cheering-on all of the speakers. I saw Cynthia Dixon and Del Parker, and some other faces I recognized, so I decided that rather than spending my time trying to capture the event, I would simply join in the fun. It was a good time for all, and Jim DeMint gave an excellent talk about needing help in the Senate, meaning he want more constitutional conservatives. He went on to extol the virtues of Ted Cruz, introducing the candidate to great applause, and Cruz made mention of the effort to repeal Obama-care, saying he would work every day until it had been repealed, killing off the notion of replacement: “Every last word…” must be repealed, vowed Cruz. The crowd roared in approval.

Hearing the Roar

Cruz went on to introduce Governor Palin, and the crowd’s cheering was so loud from my vantage point that I couldn’t hear the first few words of her speech. As always, when Governor Palin speaks at such an event, she speaks as much for those gathered as to them. This event was no different, and she focused in particular on three themes, including the wreck Obama has made and is making of the country, and the intractability of the permanent political class in the mission to restore our constitution, and naturally, how Ted Cruz will be an important player in that fight. She mentioned that she intended to try out Chick Fil-A on her way back to the airport, and as always, Governor Palin made good on her word, later posting this on her Facebook page:

The Palins Stop at Chick Fil-A

She wore the boots Governor Perry gave her on a previous visit to the Lone Star State, saying “at least in that one case he made a good decision,” but also gently chiding Perry for his present support of David Dewhurst in the primary against Ted Cruz. She mocked Obama’s assertion of last week in Texas that he’s seeing “shades of purple,” implying that the state might one day go Democrat. With the amnesty-by-executive-order that Obama has put in place, there can be little doubt that is part of his aim. Governor Palin exhorted the crowd to not let Texas go purple or blue. Said the Governor:

“There will be an Alaskan-sized blizzard on the Brazos before Texas turns blue for Barack.”

“Damn straight.” (So said many in the crowd.) She also went after the “lap-dogs in the media practicing yellow journalism,” but then she shifted her focus to the permanent political class in Washington DC that has managed to confound some of the efforts of the Tea Party patriots who sent more conservatives to the House in 2010, managing to co-opt some of them. She was brilliantly on point as she made clear that politicians in both parties have failed to carry out their constitutional responsibilities, passing Obama-care over the objections of the American people, and failing to enact a budget in four years, but she reminded the crowd:

As has been the case at events in which Gov. Palin speaks, after the conclusion of her remarks, and to the cheering of the crowd, she and Todd went off-stage and to the rope line, where she signed autographs for a long while, and as usual, the rope-line was mobbed.

I don’t have a firm grasp on how many people were in the park for the event, but I would guess there had been well over one-thousand, perhaps closer to twice that number, despite the sweltering heat. One thing is certain: Texas really is Palin country, and all who want to support a common-sense, constitutional conservative in this election ought to follow Governor Palin’s lead. With early voting over across the Lone Star State, what remains is election day, Tuesday, 31 July. Let’s get out the vote and put Ted Cruz over the top!

If you’re a Texas conservative, don’t forget that early voting begins next Monday, and runs through Friday. We have a run-off between Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, a big-time insider who is spending money like it’s going out of style, to smear his opponent, Ted Cruz, who has been endorsed by Sarah Palin, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Jim Demint, Ron Paul, many other serious conservatives in the Republican Party and the conservative movement. It’s time to stand up, it’s time to be counted, and while you’re at it, you can join the latest Levin Surge, by heading over to TedCruz.org to donate. Every little bit helps, and remember, Ted has pledged that should he win on July 31st, he will immediately go to work raising money and lending support to other constitutional conservatives, not just here in Texas, but around the country, so that we can re-take the Senate and stand some chance of repealing Obama-care, and restoring our Republic.

I have my doubts about whether we can save the country at this late date, but if we can, it will only be by pushing the RINOs aside and carrying the ball across the goal-line ourselves. It’s time to mobilize if you haven’t already, and if you’re a Texas conservative, or if you’re an American who simply wants conservatism to prevail, and take our best chance at reversing our decline, here’s your chance to truly make a difference.

In 2012, the Republican Senatorial primary will come down to a fight between former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz and current Lt. Governor David Dewhurst. Dewhurst is the guy who was for the In-State tuition for illegals before he was more recently against it. He supported an income tax for Texas. Meanwhile, Cruz has been a strong advocate of liberty, and has won landmark cases before the US Supreme Court. I support Mr. Cruz unreservedly over David Dewhurst, who is another Austin big-government Republican who likes to hang out with all the liberals at all the cocktail parties among the “liberal smart set.” Mr. Cruz appeared on Mark Levin’s show during the final hour on Wednesday’s show.

It’s time to take Texas back for conservatives. Mr. Dewhurst isn’t a fair representative of Texans or conservatives, but now we have a chance to correct all of this because when Mr. Dewhurst seeks a seat in the US Senate next year, we can send him back to Austin for a couple years longer until we finally ditch him in 2014 in favor of a Tea Party candidate.

Ted Cruz looks like a promising up-and-comer in the conservative movement. Texans should pay particular attention to this primary race. He’s got the endorsement of Jim DeMint, and Rand Paul among others.